Three more districts part of NCR

NEW DELHI: Bhiwani and Mahendragarh districts of Haryana and Bharatpur in Rajasthan are now part of the National Capital Region (NCR).

Their inclusion was on Monday approved by the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) which will also soon take up proposals on Jind and Karnal districts.

"Based on the request of the participating states, the board today has approved the inclusion of Bharat in Rajasthan, Bhiwani and Mahendragarh in Haryana in the NCR.

The planning committee will also meet up shortly to take up Jind and Karnal," urban development minister Kamal Nath said today after chairing the NCRPB meeting here.

The NCR till now included nine Haryana districts, five districts of Uttar Pradesh, Alwar in Rajasthan and the National Capital Territory (NCT).

The minister said that the NCRPB had also approved the Rajasthan government's request for identification of Jaipur as Counter-Magnet Area.

Counter-Magnet areas are to act as "interceptors" of migratory flows into NCR due to the accelerated development and also as regional growth centres, that would be able to achieve a balanced pattern of urbaniastion.

The Board also approved the Sub-Regional plan for UP sub-region.

Nath also said that the Regional Plan 2021 was reviewed and the Draft Revised Regional Plan 2021 prepared by the NCRPB in consultation with the participating states and stake-holders has been approved for inviting objections and suggestions from the public under the provisions of the NCRPB Act.

He said that there has been 62 per cent urbanisation in NCR and this is expected to go to 73 per cent by the year 2021, when it will become the highest urbanised area in the country.

Noting that the per capita income in the region was the highest in the country and the NCR was a very important hub of economic activity in the country , he stressed on the need to improve Delhi's connectivity with adjoining areas.